While the others focus on the cave bear Kurag does what he does best and tries to take down the 2 headed giant like creature. Kurag takes a 5 foot step tot he side and back to get a clear shot. Trusting in his training and knowledge he fires all 4 arrows in rapid succession thanks to Ondeks help.
rapid point blank improved precise deadly aim favored enemy haste attack for
second rapid shot for
hasted shot for
iterative shot for
Kurag: AC 24 full hp 76/76
Glancing at the two headed creature and the bear, Khari shrugs and holds aloft her pickaxe. "Fall." she growls out in giant at the ettin, keeping an eye on the bear so that it cannot get a clear line to Ondek.
One of the Ettin heads says in giant some rude comment about Khari's maidenhood.
He does't fall from Khari's command, but Kurag's assault leaves him teetering!
Kiln wounds the bear while Rask takes it out (with -1 HP!)
The ettin is devastated that his bear is dead and continues his assault on Kiln!
Kiln works to take out the ettin...
19-20/x3, S
19-20/x3, S
Rask chuckles as Kiln puts down the ettin, "good job brother." He lets Kurag do the searching of the bodies.
Kurag, searching the bodies finds that the Ettin has a ring of swarming stabs.
A few days later, Kurag, out scouting, hears a guttural language with an angry tone with at least three distinct voices from the trail up ahead.
Taking his chances Kurag dismounts and leaves Lucky back as he tries to sneak forward to spy on the voices he heard. All he wants is a look to report back to the others about the landscape, opponents, gear, weapons, etc.
Perception +4 giant
Stealth
Responding to the Ettin's taunting with a similar insinuation about its mother, Khari grins as it falls. "Ah, Ettins. Proof that two heads are dumber than one."
The next day sees Khari trudging along with the group, trying to discuss the differences between arcane and divine magics, and why divine is clearly the superior option.
The next day sees Khari trudging along with the group, trying to discuss the differences between arcane and divine magics, and why divine is clearly the superior option.
"Which one is it that can turn water into ale? I vote for that one being superior!"
Kurag sees that three drunken giants called veds, currently engaged in beating the hell out of each other, are blocking the path. One of the giants has two black eyes, one has a badly bleeding nose, and the last one has just spit out a couple of yellow teeth.
Khari offers a smirk at Ondek, "I believe that the clergy of Cayden Cailean can make that happen, Kiln."
Kurag sneaks back to on form the others. 3 drunk giants up ahead beating each other up. Give them a few more minutes and we can clean up easily unless we want to capture 1 and question it.
Ondek casts his usual extended heroism on Kurag, then offers an invisibility spell.
"I can make you invisible, Kurag, and get you a good chance to sneak back up. If we are going to fight them, I have another spell to allow you to remain invisible even after you attack."
"I be very torn about this. On the one hand, I want to be killing giants. On the other hand, letting them kill each other also seems fun."
"Kurag, you can watch them and when they are finished, Kiln can do any mop up if necessary."
To Kiln, "sorry to take away your fun big guy, but lets save the healing for times that we really need it, not on some silly whack-a-mole with giants."
Kiln smiles at the prospect of being the cleanup batter.
Kurag gathers a couple of stones to toss at the rest of the party when the time is right to alert them. Until then he spies on the giants. Thanks for the invisibility Ondek. Just the regular will be fine as I will just be watching and waiting till they are finished.
To the others, I will take three stones with me. Should they stop fighting and all three remain I will toss the 3 stones 1 after the other to let you know that all 3 are still there.
Stealth
Kurag easily gets in position and watches as the veds beat each other up. At some point their attacks are less ferocious, but they are still blocking the road and show no signs of leaving anytime soon.
Kurag tosses the 3 rocks down the path towards the others to let them know all three foams are still up. He stays hidden though until Kiln and Rask appear. Once in position he will fire from his position.
Surprise round attack when necessary
Deadly aim sneak point blank favored enemy heroism for
Hearing the three rocks, Rask turns to Kiln, "lets go brother" and he moves towards where the giants are.
19-20/x3, S
19-20/x3, S
19-20/x3, S
Kurag remains in position until it looks like the Veds aren't going anywhere. He then throws his rock to start Kiln and Rask in motion.
One of the veds turns to look down the path where the two heavily armored dwarves are heard before they are seen!
Kurag, waiting for Rask and Kiln to appear, forgets just how much noise the two heavily armored dwarfs make and how, even intoxicated, one of the veds manages to hear them.
He appears and fires a volley at the closest ved!
Ondek casts haste on the group!
Kiln, delaying until hasted and knowing that the element of surprise has been lost, rushes forward and wounds the middle ved!
Rask rushes forward and attacks the far-right ved.
rapid shot means -2 to hit the first attak
rapid shot for
threat confirm for
iterative for
Jogging to keep up with Rask and Kiln, Khari shakes her head. "Well, looks like it is time to crack some skulls." she grumbles, beginning to cast a spell on Rask.
Kurag kills the one ved and wounds another!
The ved will exhale a mighty breath!
Seeing the fight well in hand, Ondek turns to the last giant fighting and offers him quarter if he surrenders.
In giant: "Lay down your arms and you wont die like the others. One chance to walk away. Choose wisely."
Rask falls to the ground.
Kurag will delay seeing that Ondek has offered quarter. Should the giant take it then Kurag will hold. If it does not surrender then Kurag will put it out of his misery.
Should it not surrender...
Rapid shot fun for
Second rapid shot fun for
Iterative shot fun for
19-20/x3, S
19-20/x3, S
19-20/x3, S
Even in its drunken state, the ved knows a good deal when he hears one! He lays down his club.
He looks at his fallen comrades and says with a sneer in giant,
He turns to Ondek and says in giant,
With that he turns away and starts walking down the path!
With the mention of the Storm Giant's pet, Khari's expression darkens. Nodding in thanks to Blug for the information, she waits for the giant to leave before turning to the group. "Did you hear that? Apparently this Lord," she sneers, [b]"has a pet dragon. As much as it pains me, Kurag, I think you are our best chance to slay the beast. I'm horrid at range."
"Where is it going? Are we letting it go?"
"I offered it quarter and it said it was going to return to a Storm Tyrant's camp. I imagine we could follow it to the lair if we wanted, but even our strength against a whole army of giants will falter."
Ondek watches the creature go, frowning.
"The idea that this tyrant has a pet dragon is a bit concerning. Do we know anything about that, or what kind, or how big? Giants are one thing, but flying, scaled, fire-breathing spellcasters with the teeth and claws of wild beasts are quite another."
"They bleed though, right?"
"And there bones can be smashed!" Rask responds and chuckles at Kiln.
"Um...yes, they have both blood and bones. Did you perhaps miss the part where they fly, breathe fire, have immense physical strength and natural weapons, and still cast magic like sorcerers? Dragons, especially the older and larger ones, are nothing to scoff at. You are hearty and deadly dwarves, of that I have no doubt, but I would exercise caution around such creature."
Ondek looks at the two warriors, then to the dead giants and back to the dwarves, unscathed and ready for battle.
"Then again, maybe the dragon would be right to worry about us, eh?"
Indeed Ondek let’s follow while we can and compare it to our map. Should it deviate away or alert others then we take it out.
The drunken ved does not seem to be in a rush to join the Storm Tyrant. It stumbles along the path only pausing to retch a few times before passing out under a shady tree.
Pressing her lips into a thin line at the sight of the drunken giant, Khari shakes her head. "Let's leave it; he is only going to get us lost at this rate." Running a thumb along the haft of her weapon, Khari plays with a worn groove. "Besides, not all dragons breath fire; some breath ice and that is much worse."
"My great granddwarf always said that if you know the dragon's color, then you'll know what it breathes. She claimed to have fought a yellow dragon that breathed out a mixture of sunlight and positive energy. Damnedest thing she ever saw. Whenever her and her friends were all beat up, they would go and tick the thing off, it would breath on them, and boom, they were healed right up. Probably not the smartest creature ever, or maybe made up entirely. You never could tell with her. In fact..." Kiln drones on to telling more improbable tales.
"Let us continue, although I do not like the thought of leaving an enemy behind us."
"I could charm him in his stupor, he would never even know what happened, but the magic would persist for about a week. If we met him again he would consider me a close friend so long as I did not attack him."
One giant is not much of a threat to us. At least not in his current condition. If we are ahead of him then he can’t alert anyone to our presence either. Let’s just move on and leave him be.
Kurag then takes point to scout as usual.
Perception
Stealth
Survival
Bypassing the drunken giant, you all continue on.
The mountains’ glacier-carved slopes steepen above the rim of this side valley, where a dozen or so small trickling mountain brooks converges into a wide, shallow stream. The icy, roiling waters send smooth pebbles tumbling along the bottom of the streambed.
Kurag notices that one of the streams takes on an eerie pinkish color. As he follows the stream, he discovers that the color is the result of blood flowing from the corpse of a slain hill giant lying face down in the water.
He sees four creatures that combine the features of stags, wolves, and great birds of prey feasting on the corpse. They do not seem to notice Kurag.
Trying to gain an idea of what the creatures are Kurag watches them for just a brief moment before returning to the others. Since they had attacked a giant it was possible that these things could be allies against the threat the giants posed. Then again they could just be the predator at the top of the food chain and consider everything else food. Better let the others know and describe them to the rest to see if his companions had any knowledge of them.
know dungeoneering
know local
know nature
stealth back to the group
Should he make it back safely he will describe in detail what he sees. There are strange creature up ahead that look like a terrifying cross of raptors, worgs, and stags. They killed a giant and are eating the body now. I doubt I would have made it back unnoticed if it wasn't for them eating. Still I am curious about them and if they would make allies to attack the giants. An aerial assault in these treacherous mountains would be a significant tactical advantage. If you want I can try to move up again and befriend them. Of course that means you guys will need to be close behind should they prove too temperamental.
"If you think you can, I imagine flying mounts capable of killing a giant in their own would be quite a force multiplier. Here, allow me to use some magic to help your chances."
Ondek casts his usual heroism spell on Kurag, as glowing runes surround the dwarves for a moment before settling on the scout and fading from sight.
"And, just in case you need to make a fast withdrawal, here."
Ondek casts another spell, as a gust of wind sweeps around and under Kurag, causing the dwarf to lift slightly before settling back easily on his feet.
"A flight spell, for quicker movement. I doubt you'd be able to outrun natural predators in the air, but you should at least be able to get back to the group safely. "